Ismerene
[b:The Tommyknockers 17660 The Tommyknockers Stephen King http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1193781002s/17660.jpg 150226] tells the story of Bobbi Anderson discovery of an object in the woods that slowly begins to turn the minds of the residents of Haven, Maine. This book was long. I did (and continue to) enjoy [a:Stephen King 3389 Stephen King http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1261866457p2/3389.jpg]'s method of setting- and character-building; he isn't afraid to create a detailed minor character, just enough for you to care when he mercilessly kills them off in the proceeding five or so pages.This character building trait is the sole reason why, at the end I felt simultaneously ecstatic and grieved over Gard's death. I spent seven hundred pages with this guy, saw him at his highest and experienced his deepest lows. His death was what impacted me the most, and I felt that the way Gard went was the most appropriate way.The multiple points of view and slight altering of timelines made this story an engaging read. However, as others have pointed out, the book was a little too long. There are several excellently-written peaks within the buildup, and it illustrates [a:Stephen King 3389 Stephen King http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1261866457p2/3389.jpg]'s ability to write a nail-biting, suspenseful scene. But between these, the story seemed to drag a bit and I had to exert discipline to finish. I reason this is why it took me two weeks to finish, but the ending was definitely worth it!Also- and this may be a personal preference- the blending of science fiction and reality was jarring. The initial concept boasts of a story about wildest dreams coming true (In my paperback copy, “Would you like to make your wildest dreams come true?”) this notion is highly misleading; wishes don't particularly play into the plot at all. Its kitschy scifi mixed with reality and adult horror. Because of this, the story shook me from its depths and made it a bit hard to get into. Overall, I enjoyed [b:The Tommyknockers 17660 The Tommyknockers Stephen King http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1193781002s/17660.jpg 150226]. I wouldn't read it again, but I would recommend it to others!
I also ramble review over at A Tiny Reader's Reference. Come say Hi!Short but Sweet: Despite suffering from weighty unnecessary detail and a story-like structure that leans more toward fiction than true crime, In Cold Blood utilizes a unique storytelling structure that allows for a peek into the minds of the killers, the effect the murders had on small town Holcomb Kansas, up to the trial and beyond. Caution: This book contains several uncensored uses of a racial slur toward people of color.That synopsis sounds good, right? Intriguing? No hint of any dated storytelling, long-winded writing, and detrimental attention to detail, right? Right?! [b:In Cold Blood 168642 In Cold Blood Truman Capote https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424931136s/168642.jpg 1940709] did not wow me. To be honest, I expected it to, based on the 4.04 rating on Goodreads and a title of ???must read!??? for the true crime genre. Perhaps that is where I went wrong, going into a book first published in 1965 with 2016 expectations.But, if I were still being honest, what tripped me up about this novel were a few things not related to date ??? mainly, the lengthy introduction/lack of a genuine hook, the detail that felt overloaded or unnecessary, and the lack of a conclusion/exploration on the killers themselves. I shall explain.The opening in [b:In Cold Blood 168642 In Cold Blood Truman Capote https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424931136s/168642.jpg 1940709] is long. The viewpoints alternate between the family before their murder (and the investigating force afterward) and the killers. While this sounds like a viable storytelling method (and for the most part, it is) we are dropped in around twelve hours before their demise ??? twelve hours of hearing about Nancy???s relationships, Bonnie???s mental health issues, Herbert???s morning routine, etc. It goes far beyond establishment of routine and character. A method of print empathy and characterization I???m sure, but quite frustrating to trudge through when it stretches on and on.This method is not spared for the killers either, where we get to read pages and pages of their prep before the murder ??? like the restaurant they ate at, the exact food they ordered, the car they drove, who drove, where they slept, the arrangements, etc. This is one of many examples of the weighty detail that permeates through each section, something I feel reduces the effectivity of actual, relevant detail.Interspersed in the narration was, literally, copy-pasted segments relevant to the chapter or section at that time. In one situation, it was the entire letter penned by the sister of one of the killers ??? all four and a half pages worth. In another, it was conclusions, from a newspaper, drawn and published ??? all five pages of it. I surmise they were included in this novel for transparency, but it really didn???t do it for me??? I ended up skimming through it.[b:In Cold Blood 168642 In Cold Blood Truman Capote https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424931136s/168642.jpg 1940709] did not reach a point of excitement for me until the infamous break in the case occurred, and then the ball got rolling and became more exciting ??? especially as the killers began to make poor decisions that would, ultimately, allow for their capture.I feel I should have loved this more than I do. It???s been regarded as a ???pioneer in the true crime genre??? and praised for accurately delving into the psyche of the killers (source), a claim I will unfortunately have to partly disagree with.Is the background of the killers discussed? Absolutely. In-depth, long-winded discussion. But when I finally turned the last page and closed the book, I felt like I didn???t have a full understanding of the killers and why they did what they did. The conclusions, if any, felt incomplete and cobbled together. It felt wasted, especially given the conflicted and changing stories about that night, and the apparent choice-based juxtaposition one of the killers had ??? a venue I wished had been explored more thoroughly.I sound like I hated this novel, and I truly did not. Once it picked up, I had to finish it. I even did some research afterward, and saw some pictures (both NSFL and otherwise) so it was a really neat thing to connect story to picture. But the work that I had to do in order to get into the novel in the first place bothered me enough to almost put it down, had the reviews not saved it.I???d recommend picking this up if you???re a fan of true crime (my reason) or if Vincent Bugliosi???s [b:Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders 105992 Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders Vincent Bugliosi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347694754s/105992.jpg 1077715] was far too long and/or dry. It presents the crime and aftermath as a tale rather than a succession of events, a method that may appeal to you. To my disappointment, it did not appeal to me.
Short and Sweet: [b: Foreign Faction 15760050 Foreign Faction - Who Really Kidnapped JonBenet? A. James Kolar https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355063768s/15760050.jpg 21459789] utilizes a four-part structure to illustrate a thorough and factually driven picture of JonBenet???s murder, the aftermath, and the debate that continues until this day. An absolute must-read for anyone seeking more information on this case.[b: Foreign Faction 15760050 Foreign Faction - Who Really Kidnapped JonBenet? A. James Kolar https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355063768s/15760050.jpg 21459789] opens with a telling of what, based on interpreted evidence and John Ramsey???s on-record statements, an intruder scenario would look like. It turned me off at first, and I must admit it was due to my own biases; I???ve always believed wholeheartedly that there was no intruder involved. However, [a: A. James Kolar 6508540 A. James Kolar https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] not only believes that there was no intruder, but disseminates the entire theory with factual precision. His tone is not malicious; rather, it wanders into incredulity, especially given some of the evidence and statements. Really, the only time emotion crept into Kolar???s narrative is when it???s relevant to his experience, or when it cannot be helped - shown clearly, for example, when he discusses John Ramsey's attempt to leave to Atlanta the very same day his daughter???s body had been discovered.Each piece of evidence - from the samsonite suitcase, the lock of hair knotted around the garrote, the infamous undisturbed webbing, even to the behavior Burke Ramsey exhibited after the fact - is discussed in detail, with pictures, and how it supports the family theory, especially when compared to the belief that an intruder was the culprit.It is obvious, though not stated plainly, which side Kolar falls on - this novel is not unbiased. But his conclusions are completely founded and researched, even if you were to put aside his integral role in the case itself. His tireless dedication to finding the truth led to a breakthrough regarding the twin abrasions on JonBenet's back - a breakthrough that, in my opinion, would not have occurred had Kolar not picked up the mantle and pushed through, despite heavy opposition from the DA. [b: Foreign Faction 15760050 Foreign Faction - Who Really Kidnapped JonBenet? A. James Kolar https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355063768s/15760050.jpg 21459789] made me angry, and I hope it makes you angry too. I believe this to be required reading for anyone with interest in this case, and why it still remains open-but-cold. There is a reason that this book has over 4 stars on Goodreads.
Short and Sweet: [b: Seed 11422798 Seed Ania Ahlborn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1305997493s/11422798.jpg 16356035] is a character-driven horror story that takes a new angle on the concept of good and evil, and how it manifests from one victim to the next. Seed opens with Jack Winters, our protagonist, driving along a dark road with his family - wife Aimee Winters, and two daughters, Charlotte (Charlie) and Abbey. For a brief moment, he sees a set of glowing eyes that he hasn't seen in years, right before his headlights briefly flicker out. In response, he flips the car, and his childhood skeletons come flooding out of the closet, bones clacking, to target Charlie. And while this could be labeled a ???demonic possession??? novel, it doesn???t cut clear lines in the dirt like others may. There???s no priest involved, no holy water splashed onto Charlie with a dramatic reading from the Bible. There is only Jack, and his horrifying realization of what Charlie is going through- and how it may end- when she spirals.[a: Ania Ahlborn 4867939 Ania Ahlborn https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1442457541p2/4867939.jpg] does a fantastic job of illustrating without becoming heavy-handed. I saw their house with minimal description and got a feel for their dynamic without pages of prose. When it came to the unusual happenings, it was straight to the point, like the difference between a found-footage film and traditional horror.Personality shined. Not only did I get a sense of each character as a whole, but I could also predict with certainty how each character would react when placed in progressively dire situations. I found myself getting personally angry with each character when they made a decision; a frustration for the reader, but a testament to the skill at which these characters were illustrated.However, because personality shines, this novel takes a bit of time to ramp up. I personally love a slow-burning horror novel, but if you???re looking for something to punch you on the onset, this isn???t it.My only issue? Even after the somewhat predictable-but-necessary conclusion, I still had so many questions ??? who is Mr. Scratch? Why Jack? What does it want? What exactly happened in Jack???s childhood place, deep in the woods, behind that dingy trailer? Ultimately, the question that this novel addresses isn???t the what where when why how, but can. Can extrinsic evil be passed down like brown hair, hazel eyes, and attached lobes? And what do you do, if it can?
Oh dear. Okay.Let me preface this review by stating that I went into it with low expectations. Perhaps that is why my frustrations exist so strongly, but it was nigh impossible to avoid the discussion and the excerpts that flooded the internet upon its release. I read them, I discussed them, and when I obtained a copy of [b:Fifty Shades of Grey 10818853 Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1) E.L. James https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385207843s/10818853.jpg 15732562]. I took a deep breath and dived in. The Good:As we all know, this novel originated as Twilight fanfiction. As its written, it can certainly stand alone. The concept is great and, barring what I will soon discuss, the character development has promise. I was appreciative that there weren't info dumps, and that information (mainly about Grey) was slowly revealed. Relationships and the world had depth. (I'm trying, guys.)The Bad:This novel originated as Twilight fanfiction. Throughout the 75% I progressed through, I briefly saw who were which characters (Jos?? = Jacob, Mia = Alice). The writing also reads like fanfiction gone published. This is glaringly evident within the first chapter of [b:Fifty Shades of Grey 10818853 Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1) E.L. James https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385207843s/10818853.jpg 15732562].The character parallels brings me to Jos?? Rodriguez. I had an issue with how he was handled. Towards the middle of this novel, he and Ana are drunk. He starts pushing himself onto Ana, and then our dear savior Christian Grey swoops in to save the girl. Okay. Whatever. However, Jose is illustrated as Hispanic, and James even goes so far to point this out by his usage of token expressions such as ???Dios Mio!???. It bothered me how the only other minority in this book was the one who attempted to assault Ana. As fantastic as Christian Grey may be as a lover, Ana's constant vaginal orgasms (with only two mentions of her clitoris in what I read.) were wholly unrealistic. In reality, 25% of women have orgasms during intercourse. That isn't counting the disrepancy between vaginal and clitoral ??? that's overall. Not only is Ana a magical unicorn that possesses the physical ability to come from penetration alone, but so can her roommate, Kate! I know that women like this exist, but for the rest of us who physically cannot, its frustrating to read a novel that sold faster than Harry Potter further portray women in an unrealistic sexual light. Women need clitorial stimulation, and there are people out there who don't even know the clitoris exists. The sex scenes, after the first initial ones, began to drag. For the most part, they consisted of the same verbage, and towards the end of the book I started skimming them. Ana's constant physical reactions to everything Christian did - ???My breath hitched.??? ???I flushed and held my breath.??? ???I gasped.??? ???My breath stuttered.??? It is honestly a miracle to me how she was alive at the end of this book. Every time Christian had to remind her to breathe, I cringed. Which brings me to...The Ugly:Anastasia Steele. Innocent, virginal, shy, sarcastic Ana, flying too close to the Sun like Icarus. James portrayal of her naively and innocent nature is excellent. However, what puzzled me the entire time ??? Why Ana? Why is she an exception to Grey's every single rule? What about her categorizes her from previous subs he's been with? Was it the balance between her submissive and defiant traits? How she came out with a few witty one-liners? What was it? Ana was wholly flat and one-dimensional, possessing unicorn-like traits and zero flaws. (BTW skinniness is not a flaw.)The Annoying:If I hear ???THERE??? or ???foil packet??? or ???oh... jeez??? or ???groaned??? or ???Mr. Grey??? or ???Ms. Steele??? one more goddamn time I will hurl something. Would I recommend this book to someone else? No. Do I condemn those who do read it? No. One should never feel guilty about guilty pleasures, and that is what this trilogy encompasses. I feel that, with a bit more character building (especially with Ana) and a couple more rounds with editors, that this book (and the others following) would have been receieved far better.This is, however, not my type of guilty pleasure, and as such I won't be completing nor moving on to [b:Fifty Shades Darker 11857408 Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades, #2) E.L. James https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358266080s/11857408.jpg 16813814] and [b:Fifty Shades Freed 12881778 Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades, #3) E.L. James https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320316311s/12881778.jpg 18034963]. YMMV
Short and Sweet: At a weighty 689 pages, Vincent Bugliosi leaves no stone unturned in the telling of the Manson Murders case, the following convictions, and aftermath. If there is one book you???re looking for to cover the entirety of this saga in clear ??? and often disturbing - detail, [b:Helter Skelter 105992 Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders Vincent Bugliosi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347694754s/105992.jpg 1077715] is it. Separated into 8 chronological parts, all labeled with dates, it begins with an outside view of the incident, stepping into the shoes of the neighbors and what they heard that night; a small snapshot of 10050 Cielo Drive, and the discovery the following morning by Winifred Chapman, the maid that worked the property. From there, it takes you along the journey of the investigation, the LaBianca murders, and how prosecuting the case was handed to Vincent Bugliosi. We go through, quite literally, every step ??? Bugliosi???s interviews, his notes, his tiny, often frustrating and well-fought steps forward in gathering every clue, no matter how big or small. [b:Helter Skelter 105992 Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders Vincent Bugliosi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347694754s/105992.jpg 1077715] also delves into the psychological aspect and backgrounds of all parties involved, including the victims. Their background descriptions are not long, nor short ??? just enough to give you a clear picture of the person. It's refreshing and even touching to see how Bugliosi insisted on illustrating the victims as more than just names, headlines, or reports. “Yet the victims had lived,” he writes, “and each had a past.”I know tone is a problem for Bugliosi???s other written works, but I feel this is not one of them. There is emotion where emotion is understandably warranted, but I found that a majority of the narration was factual and straight to the point. It didn???t have the ???clutter??? of emotionally charged writing that other true crime books may suffer from. [b:Helter Skelter 105992 Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders Vincent Bugliosi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347694754s/105992.jpg 1077715] truly shines with showing you what happened in stark black-and-white detail, and allowing you, as the reader, to conjure up the emotion on your own.The one downfall I found? The sheer amount of names. Due to the attention to detail, every person involved, whether it is Manson himself or the counselor who heard the screams on that August night ??? they all get first and last names. While this fits nicely into the detail-oriented narration, it can get overwhelmingly confusing. A ???Cast of Characters??? is listed at the beginning of the book, a type of reverse glossary, which does help immensely in following along. Would I recommend [b:Helter Skelter 105992 Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders Vincent Bugliosi https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347694754s/105992.jpg 1077715]? Absolutely. It takes your hand and transports you to the scene, as if it happened yesterday, and walks with you through every aspect of the saga. An absolute star in it's genre and a must-read for any true crime fan.